Combination utility board and sign



Jan. 19, 1943. w, WALKER 2,308,556

COMBINATION UTILITY BOARD AND SIGN Filed May 15, 1941 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 19, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,308,556 COMBINATION UTILITY BOARD AND' SIGN William Walker, Pocatello, Idaho Application May 15, 1941, Serial No. 393,573

8 Claims. (Cl. 40140) This invention relates to a combination drafting and sign board designed to function as a multi-purpose utility board.

a measuring scale, and means for mountingthe board in a frame. When used as a drafting board, the board proper may have placed thereon a sheet secured thereto in any desired manner and mounted on the guide elements is the T- square which is provided with securing members for locking the same in adjusted position relative to said board; When used as a sign the board is provided with aiplurality of letter channels which include similar securing members for locking the same in position thereon, the securing members in each instance being designed to co-act with the metallic guide elements. The utility boardwhen set up with the letter channels may be used as a meansfrom which to transfer-the words defined by the letters in the letter channels onto a transfer sheet to be thereafter re-transferred on a surface, and as such has been found especially advantageous in the laying out of names, legends, dates, etc., on stone surfaces as for example tombstones, as the measuring scales and letter channels which latter may be of varying sizes permit a simple and efficient lay-out of the matter desired to be transferred to the stone surface.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel arrangement and combination of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

A practical embodiment ofthe invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein;

Figure 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of the invention showing the .utility board and'several uses to which the sameis adapted.

Figure 2 shows in a partial plan view a modi- -ficat ion of the utility'board of Fig. 1.

taken on line 4-4, Fig. 1, showing one metallic angl bar guide support fixed to side edge of utility board and the manner of attaching a letter channel or T-square to the same.

Figures 5, 6 and '7 are similar sectional views of modified form of metallic guide supports.

Figure 8 is a detail sectional view similar to that of Fig. 3, showing a modified manner of mounting the utility board in a frame.

. Referring to the drawing in detail l0 denotes a board preferably of the kind used as a drawing board which may be of any desired size Provided along the longitudinal and side edges of the board I!) are guide supports ll and lZ preferably in the form of a metal angle bar, see Fig. 4, the abutting ends of which'are mitered as at 13, and which if so desired may be positively secured together as by welding to thereby provide "a' rigid and continuous guide frame. The guide support ll (l2) as indicated is in the form of an angle bar, the vertical leg M of which is provided with a row of countersunk openings l5 for seating the head of a wood screw I6 securing the angle bar to the board Ill. The guide support .ll .(I2) is so disposed with relation to the board It that the horizontal leg l'l lies flush with the upper surfac of the board.

Provided lengthwise of the'guide support ll (l2) is a guide slot 2!] (2|) formed in the horizontal leg ll of the angle bar, each guide slot 20 (2|) being parallel to its adjacent side edge of the board Ill and of substantially the same length as said side, see Fig. 1. V

As pointed out above the board Ill'may be utilized either as a sign board, transfer board or drawing board. Thus, when used either as a sign or transfer board the board is provided'with a plurality of letter channels 24, only one of which" is shown, said letter channels being of the type shown in Fig. l of the drawing. The letter channel 24 is of a length such as to extend from one longitudinal guide support edge to the corresponding edge of the opposite guide support, and is provided at each end with an opening 25 adapted to register with the guide slot 20. Ex-

tending upwardly through the guide slots 20 and registering openings 25 are bolts 26 provided with wing nuts 21.

As will be obvious thebolts ZBare slidable in the guide slots andupon setting up of the wing nuts 21 thereon willp'ositively clamp the letter channel 24 in adjusted position on the board In.

The letter channel 24 is'ada pted to re ceive therein the letter plates 30, and it is obvious that any desired wording may be obtained b the use of a plurality of letter channels and letter plates to thus provide a sign.

The board I may be provided along at least one longitudinal edge portion and one transverse edge portion with a rule or scale 3| calibrated in inches and fractions thereof, or in any other desired calibration. The scale 3| is preferably inset into the edge portion of the board In so as to lie flush with the upper surface thereof, and is especially useful in the laying out of the letter channels 24 and letter plates to obtain a desired spacing of lines, words, letters and numerals, in the manner readily apparent.

In Fig. 2 the'board l0a is provided with two guide supports I la which are each provided-with a row of bolt receiving openings 32 spaced apart any desired distance. Obviously such a board Illa has a certain desired limited use as to the adjustments obtainable in the spacing of the letter channels or T-square (to be hereinafter described) In Figs. 5, 6 and 7 there are shown several modifications of guide supports. In Fig. 5 the guide support 33 is in the form of a flat plate inset into the edge portion of the board Nib. In Fig. 6 the guide support 34 is an angle bar the outer .end ofthe. horizontal leg 35 of which is inset into the edge portion of the board I00, and

the vertical leg 36 of which is very short and modified guide supports are each provided with guide slots 26 and are secured to the board by screws 16.

Referring back to Fig. 1, the utility board is shown as also adaptable as a drafting board. The board I B has mounted thereon a T-square40 which is provided with openings registering with the guide slots 72! When it is desired to hold the T-square in fixed position on the sheet of paper shown attached by thumbtacks on the board 10, bolts such as 26 are inserted through the slots 20 and openings in T-square, the bolts being provided with Wing nuts 2! for clamping the T-square to the board and guide supports. Preferably the longitudinal edges 4| of the guide supports II are machined to provide an accurate squared guide surface for the T-head of the T-square.

The utility board i0 when used as a sign board is desirably mounted in a frame 45. The frame may be of any desired type and is of conventional design providing a recessed shoulder 45 receiving the edge portions of the utility board 1 0. To accommodate the edge portions of the utility board and the terminal ends of the letter channels 24, the securing bolt 26 is reversed so that the head thereof is seated wholly within the channel 24, and the wing nut 21 is located below the horizontal leg of the guide support II as clearly shown in Fig. 3. It is thus seen that actually the letter channel ends portions seat directlygagainst the shoulder 46 of the frame 45, and; to insure this seating engagement the head of the bolt 2t must be of a thickness not exceeding the depth of the letter channel. To secure the frame 45 to the utility board 10, there is pivotally mounted on the rear of the frame 45 a plurality of hooks 41 (only one of which is shown). Each hook is attached to the frame by a headed fastening member 48. On the back side of the utility board l0 there is provided a staple 49 for each hook which defines an eye adapted to receive the hooked end of the hook in the manner well known. As will be apparent this construction is exceedingly simple and provides for a ready mounting of the utility board in the frame.

Fig. 8 illustrates a modification of frame mounting for the utility board ID in which the frame 50 is provided with screw bolts 5| (only one of which is shown) which extends transversely through the body of the frame, and is so positioned on the frame as to be in registry with and to project through the guide slot 20 in the horizontal leg I! of the guide support I l the bolts 51 being disposed between adjacent letter channels. Preferably there is disposed on each bolt -5| a spacing washer member 52 of a height slightly exceeding the overall depth of the letter channel 24 so as to provide a clearance 53 between the letter channel and the frame 50. A wing nut 54 on the bolt .5! serves to securely clamp the frame 50 to the utility board l0. Obviously the frame 50 may be of any desired shape. This frame mounting means will provide for the entrypf the letter plates and removal therefrom through the letter channel ends located beneath the frame by virtue of the provision 0f the clearance 53. In this construction the letter channels Z4 are connected to the guide supports H either by the means shown in Fig. 3 orthat shown in Fig. 4.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A combination utility board and sign comprising, a flat board, guide elements fixed to at least one pair of opposed parallel edges of said board, letter-carrying means carried b said board and bridging said guide elements, and securing members extending through said means and .co-acting'with said guide elements for locking said means in adjusted position on said board, a frame including a shouldered portion seating the edge portions of said board and said guide elements, and separable fastening means for connecting said frame to said board.

:2. A combination utility board and sign comprising, a flat rectangular board, guide elements vfixed to at least one pair .of opposed parallel edges of said board, letter-receiving means carried by said board and bridging said guide elements, a frame surrounding said board, and fastening members extending through said frame and guide means for detachably connecting said frame to said board.

3. A combination utility board and sign comprising, a fiat rectangular board, guide elements fixed to at least one pair of opposed parallel edges of said board, letter-carrying channel carried by said "board and bridging said guide elements, securing members extending through said means and co-acting with said guide elements for locking said means in adjusted position on said board, a frame surrounding said board, and

' fastening members extending through said frame and guide means for detachably connecting said frame to said board.

4. A combination utility board and sign comprising, a flat rectangular board, guide elements fixed to at least one pair of opposed parallel edges of .said board, means carried by said board and bridging said guide elements, securing members extending through said means and co-acting with said guide elements for locking said means in adjusted position on said board, a frame sur rounding said board, and fastening members extending through said frame and guide means for detachably connecting said frame to said board, said fastener members each comprising a bolt, and spacer means on each fastener member arranged between the frame and board to maintain the same in spaced relation to provide a clearance between said means and said frame, said bridging means comprising a letter-receiving channel and extending into the space between the frame and the board.

5. A combination utility board and sign comprising, a fiat rectangular board, an angle bar guide support fixed to each of at least one pair of opposed parallel edges of said board, each guide support having a leg portion arranged to lie flush with the top surface of said board, means carried by said board and adapted to move relative thereto in a direction parallel to said guide supports, said means bridging said guide supports and having its end portions seated thereon, a longitudinal slot formed in said leg portion of each guide support, and a securing member at each end portion of said means extending through the slot of an associated guide support adapted to clamp said means in fixed relation to said board, said bridging means including a letter-receiving channel.

6. A combination utility board and sign comprising, a fiat rectangular board, an angle bar guide support fixed to each of at least one pair of opposed parallel edges of said board, each guide support having a leg portion arranged to lie flush with the top surface of said board,

means carried by said board and adapted to move relative thereto in a direction parallel to said guide supports, said means bridging said guide supports and having its end portions seated thereon, a longitudinal slot formed in said leg portion of each guide support, and a securing member at each end portion of said means ex tending through the slot of an associated guide support adapted to clamp said means in fixed relation to said board, a frame mounting said board, and readily attachable and detachable means for locking said board in said frame, said bridging means including a letter-receiving channel.

7. A combination utility board and sign comprising, a fiat rectangular board, an angle bar guide support fixed to each of at least one pair of opposed parallel edges of said board, each guide support having a leg portion arranged to lie flush with the top surface of said board, means carried by said board and adapted to move relative thereto in a direction parallel to said guide supports, said means bridging said guide supports and having its end portions seated thereon, a longitudinal slot formed in said leg portion of each guide support, and a securing member at each end portion of said means extending through the slot of an associated guide support adapted to clamp said means in fixed relation to said board, a frame mounting said board, fastening elements carried by said frame and projecting through the slots in said guide supports, spacer means on said elements for spacing said frame from said board, and clamping means on said fastening elements for immovably looking said board to said frame, said bridging means comprising a letter-receiving channel and extending into the space between the frame and the board.

8. A combination utility board and sign comprising, a flat rectangular board, an angle bar guide support fixed to each of at least one pair of opposed parallel edges of said board, each guide support having a leg portion arranged to lie flush with the top surface of said board, a calibrated measuring scale inset into the top surface of said board adjacent an edge thereof and parallel to an adjacent guide support, means carried by said board and adapted to move relative thereto in a direction parallel to said guide supports said means bridging said guide supports and having its end portions seated there on, a longitudinal slot formed in said leg portion of each guide support, and a securing member at each end portion of said means extending through the slot of an associated guide support adapted to clamp said means in fixed relation to said board, said bridging means including a letter-receiving channel.

WILLIAM WALKER. 

